Parang betino

Loedjoe · 13th February 2012, 10:43 PM

In response to a suggestion by Vandoo in the Keris forum, I show the ceremonial weapon which has the hilt used in my Avatar. I believe it is called a parang betino. The hilt of mine seems to be Palembang work, but whether the whole thing is Palembang, or Javanese with a Palembang hilt, I don't know. Michael Backman had a wonderful example for sale a while ago, which appeared to be Palembang.
P. Holstein, Contribution à l'étude des armes Orientales. Inde et Archipel Malais, vol. II, pl. 50, item 149 (described, p. 164, as a Batak golok) has a blade of similar shape, without openwork decoration; a similar weapon is illustrated in Stone, Glossary, p. 365, fig. 14 (under 'Miscellaneous knives'). Rita Wassing-Visser, Royal gifts from Indonesia (1995), p. 175 (pl. 167) includes a photograph of one almost identical in shape and mounts, with larger openings in the blade (and engraved rather than inlaid silver lines), described as a ceremonial West Javanese parang betino (in the Royal collection before 1884). See Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, under Sumatera Selatan, item 360-5322, for a similar item.

DhaDha · 13th February 2012, 10:48 PM

Wow. Nice. So glad to see this.

Sajen · 13th February 2012, 11:43 PM

Thank you for sharing!

Just beautiful.

Robert · 14th February 2012, 12:59 AM

Absolutely beautiful!!! Could you possibly post a close-up of the hilt so we could see the carving better? Thank you for posting this for all to enjoy.

Robert

CharlesS · 14th February 2012, 01:24 AM

wow! What a magnificent piece. Thanks so much for letting us have a peek!

Battara · 14th February 2012, 04:08 AM

Wonderful piece - best type I have ever seen yet - thanks.

VANDOO · 14th February 2012, 05:03 AM

WOW!! ITS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL, ITS MUCH BETTER.

I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS TYPE BEFORE AND IT SEEMS TO SHOW INFLUENCE FROM OLDER FORMS. WAS IT OF HINDU WITH INDIAN INFLUENCE OR PURELY ISLAMIC IN ITS CEREMONIAL USE OR PERHAPS SORT OF A MIX? WOULD IT ONLY BE USED IN CEREMONIES BY PRIESTS AND WHAT SORT OF CEREMONIES?
THANKS FOR SHOWING IT IS A BEAUTY.

VVV · 14th February 2012, 07:06 AM

Thanks for sharing, it's the best I have seen so far (and I have handled six of them in my own and other collections).
Could you please also post a couple of close ups of the hilt and ferrule?
I would place yours as the Palembang area based on the ferrule and blade features close to the hilt, too.

Michael

Loedjoe · 14th February 2012, 04:10 PM

Thank you all, for your kind and generous praise of this item, of which I am very fond.
Vandoo - alas I do not know the answers to your questions, but would like to know more about this type of 'weapon', if anyone can enlighten me, please.
Thank you Michael for confirming that it is Palembang; it is good to know that such an expert as yourself admires it.
I attach a few more pictures in response to requests (and please excuse poor photographs).

Sajen · 14th February 2012, 04:40 PM

Again, it's a beauty!

And can confirm now that it is a typical Palembang carving. Look this keris hilt from Palembang.

Regards,

Detlef

Spunjer · 14th February 2012, 05:24 PM

Excellent inlays on this one! Thanks for posting!!!

carlos · 14th February 2012, 06:44 PM

My heart is broken!!! what a beautiful piece!!
Congratulations and thanks
carlos

VVV · 14th February 2012, 08:05 PM

Thanks for the close ups.
As Detlef brought up it's related to the best carved Palembang JD-hilts.
I am quite picky nowadays but this is just astonishing!!!
It's much better than the one in the Royal collection.

Michael

PS It's interesting that the open flower carvings on the blade resembles
the Malay work from Banjarmasin (like sometimes seen on Beladah Belabang)?

carlos · 14th February 2012, 09:42 PM

I have found this Color Lithograph from 1888 from Albert Racinet and I could see your piece
best regards
carlos

Loedjoe · 15th February 2012, 11:54 AM

Thank you all for your comments. Michael, such praise from the owner of such fabulous barong is praise indeed, and thank you for the intersting comment about the Malay work. Carlos, thank you very much for the Racinet picture - fascinating. Please can you tell me the title of the book from which it comes? His books Le costume historique, and L'ornement polychrome were both published in 1888 by Firmin Didot publishers; was it one of these, or some other title?

Gavin Nugent · 3rd July 2012, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedjoe

Thank you all for your comments. Michael, such praise from the owner of such fabulous barong is praise indeed, and thank you for the intersting comment about the Malay work. Carlos, thank you very much for the Racinet picture - fascinating. Please can you tell me the title of the book from which it comes? His books Le costume historique, and L'ornement polychrome were both published in 1888 by Firmin Didot publishers; was it one of these, or some other title?

Bump...was the answer ever found?

T. Koch · 3rd August 2012, 10:12 PM

I have got to put in my praise here! That is just astonishing! Stunning Majestic! Hands down one of the most beautiful ivory carvings I have ever seen!

I am intrigued by the construction - is it a two-piece setup where the handle is one piece and the crest is another attached? The yellowish tone to the convex part of the handle plus the overall shape of the handle itself could mean marine ivory, specifically a tooth from the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - maybe with a crest of elephant ivory? Is the side of the crest also carved?

It really is beautiful. Have you thought about having it professionally photographed? I'd buy a photo for sure!

Thanks so much for sharing!

All the best, - Thor

VANDOO · 4th August 2012, 05:00 AM

ANOTHER FEATURE I FIND INTERESTING IS THE BLADE APPEARS TO HAVE A BOLSTER BUILT IN LIKE IS USUALLY ONLY FOUND ON SPEARS. IT IS MORE DECORATIVE THAN MOST BOLSTERS BUT DOES APPEAR TO BE INTRIGAL WITH THE BLADE. aNYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS UNUSUAL FEATURE?

13th February 2012, 10:43 PM	#1
Loedjoe Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oxford (UK) Posts: 96	Parang betino In response to a suggestion by Vandoo in the Keris forum, I show the ceremonial weapon which has the hilt used in my Avatar. I believe it is called a parang betino. The hilt of mine seems to be Palembang work, but whether the whole thing is Palembang, or Javanese with a Palembang hilt, I don't know. Michael Backman had a wonderful example for sale a while ago, which appeared to be Palembang. P. Holstein, Contribution à l'étude des armes Orientales. Inde et Archipel Malais, vol. II, pl. 50, item 149 (described, p. 164, as a Batak golok) has a blade of similar shape, without openwork decoration; a similar weapon is illustrated in Stone, Glossary, p. 365, fig. 14 (under 'Miscellaneous knives'). Rita Wassing-Visser, Royal gifts from Indonesia (1995), p. 175 (pl. 167) includes a photograph of one almost identical in shape and mounts, with larger openings in the blade (and engraved rather than inlaid silver lines), described as a ceremonial West Javanese parang betino (in the Royal collection before 1884). See Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden, under Sumatera Selatan, item 360-5322, for a similar item. Attached Images

14th February 2012, 04:10 PM	#9
Loedjoe Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oxford (UK) Posts: 96	Thank you all, for your kind and generous praise of this item, of which I am very fond. Vandoo - alas I do not know the answers to your questions, but would like to know more about this type of 'weapon', if anyone can enlighten me, please. Thank you Michael for confirming that it is Palembang; it is good to know that such an expert as yourself admires it. I attach a few more pictures in response to requests (and please excuse poor photographs). Attached Images

14th February 2012, 04:40 PM	#10
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,791	Again, it's a beauty! And can confirm now that it is a typical Palembang carving. Look this keris hilt from Palembang. Regards, Detlef Attached Images

14th February 2012, 09:42 PM	#14
carlos Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 738	I have found this Color Lithograph from 1888 from Albert Racinet and I could see your piece best regards carlos Attached Images

13th February 2012, 10:48 PM	#2
DhaDha Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 165	Wow. Nice. So glad to see this.

13th February 2012, 11:43 PM	#3
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,791	Thank you for sharing! Just beautiful.

14th February 2012, 12:59 AM	#4
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Absolutely beautiful!!! Could you possibly post a close-up of the hilt so we could see the carving better? Thank you for posting this for all to enjoy. Robert

14th February 2012, 01:24 AM	#5
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	wow! What a magnificent piece. Thanks so much for letting us have a peek!

14th February 2012, 04:08 AM	#6
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,226	Wonderful piece - best type I have ever seen yet - thanks.

14th February 2012, 05:03 AM	#7
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	WOW!! ITS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL, ITS MUCH BETTER. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS TYPE BEFORE AND IT SEEMS TO SHOW INFLUENCE FROM OLDER FORMS. WAS IT OF HINDU WITH INDIAN INFLUENCE OR PURELY ISLAMIC IN ITS CEREMONIAL USE OR PERHAPS SORT OF A MIX? WOULD IT ONLY BE USED IN CEREMONIES BY PRIESTS AND WHAT SORT OF CEREMONIES? THANKS FOR SHOWING IT IS A BEAUTY.

14th February 2012, 07:06 AM	#8
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Thanks for sharing, it's the best I have seen so far (and I have handled six of them in my own and other collections). Could you please also post a couple of close ups of the hilt and ferrule? I would place yours as the Palembang area based on the ferrule and blade features close to the hilt, too. Michael

14th February 2012, 05:24 PM	#11
Spunjer Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Witness Protection Program Posts: 1,730	Excellent inlays on this one! Thanks for posting!!!

14th February 2012, 06:44 PM	#12
carlos Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 738	My heart is broken!!! what a beautiful piece!! Congratulations and thanks carlos

14th February 2012, 08:05 PM	#13
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Thanks for the close ups. As Detlef brought up it's related to the best carved Palembang JD-hilts. I am quite picky nowadays but this is just astonishing!!! It's much better than the one in the Royal collection. Michael PS It's interesting that the open flower carvings on the blade resembles the Malay work from Banjarmasin (like sometimes seen on Beladah Belabang)?

15th February 2012, 11:54 AM	#15
Loedjoe Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oxford (UK) Posts: 96	Thank you all for your comments. Michael, such praise from the owner of such fabulous barong is praise indeed, and thank you for the intersting comment about the Malay work. Carlos, thank you very much for the Racinet picture - fascinating. Please can you tell me the title of the book from which it comes? His books Le costume historique, and L'ornement polychrome were both published in 1888 by Firmin Didot publishers; was it one of these, or some other title?

3rd August 2012, 10:12 PM	#17
T. Koch Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Mother North Posts: 189	I have got to put in my praise here! That is just astonishing! Stunning Majestic! Hands down one of the most beautiful ivory carvings I have ever seen! I am intrigued by the construction - is it a two-piece setup where the handle is one piece and the crest is another attached? The yellowish tone to the convex part of the handle plus the overall shape of the handle itself could mean marine ivory, specifically a tooth from the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - maybe with a crest of elephant ivory? Is the side of the crest also carved? It really is beautiful. Have you thought about having it professionally photographed? I'd buy a photo for sure! Thanks so much for sharing! All the best, - Thor

4th August 2012, 05:00 AM	#18
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ANOTHER FEATURE I FIND INTERESTING IS THE BLADE APPEARS TO HAVE A BOLSTER BUILT IN LIKE IS USUALLY ONLY FOUND ON SPEARS. IT IS MORE DECORATIVE THAN MOST BOLSTERS BUT DOES APPEAR TO BE INTRIGAL WITH THE BLADE. aNYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THIS UNUSUAL FEATURE?